Feeling Each Other's Pain - How to Carry Mercy and Grace from God's Throne to the Hurting
Have you ever been through something so difficult it felt like no one understood how bad you were hurting? I just lost my mom and it hurts, it’s hard to explain to people the emotional and mental struggle of losing a mom you’re very close with. I know where she is, I’m thankful she’s out of pain, I know I’ll see her again, but it still hurts.
One of the more reassuring things people did in this process was share their stories of losing their mom. There’s something comforting about knowing you’re not alone. Lots of people say nice things trying to help, but the most meaningful support came from people who have lost their mom. Those who have been through this knew what I was feeling and could specifically speak to and do things that were helpful because they’ve been there.
This lesson made me think of how Jesus is there for us and how we can be there for others. Jesus can empathize with our pain and suffering because he’s been through it as well. We can go to him for mercy and comfort when we’re hurting. And then we can help others experience mercy and strength from God in the things we’ve been through. He comforts and strengthens so we can in turn comfort and strengthen others with the love God has shown us in our weakness.
Have you ever been through something so difficult it felt like no one understood how bad you were hurting? I just lost my mom and it hurts, it’s hard to explain to people the emotional and mental struggle of losing a mom you’re very close with. I know where she is, I’m thankful she’s out of pain, I know I’ll see her again, but it still hurts.
One of the more reassuring things people did in this process was share their stories of losing their mom. There’s something comforting about knowing you’re not alone. Lots of people say nice things trying to help, but the most meaningful support came from people who have lost their mom. Those who have been through this knew what I was feeling and could specifically speak to and do things that were helpful because they’ve been there.
This lesson made me think of how Jesus is there for us and how we can be there for others. Jesus can empathize with our pain and suffering because he’s been through it as well. We can go to him for mercy and comfort when we’re hurting. And then we can help others experience mercy and strength from God in the things we’ve been through. He comforts and strengthens so we can in turn comfort and strengthen others with the love God has shown us in our weakness.
Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus empathizes with our weaknesses, pain and suffering because he’s been through it too. God became human for a few reasons, one of which was to feel what we feel and face what we face. Jesus is a high priest over the New Covenant, interceding on our behalf, from a place of empathy and mercy.
The one who holds the authority over our eternal destiny is not judging us based on our weaknesses, he stepped into those weaknesses and conquered them for us so he could then turn to us and help us through.
We can do the same thing for others. We can turn and help others out of their weakness and pain. If you’ve been through something, you can minister to others because you know what it’s like.
Sometimes we need others to help us hold firmly to our faith. Sometimes we need others to help us experience God’s mercy. Sometimes we need others to remind us to keep our hearts open to God to receive grace and power when we’re weak. It’s better to receive that kind of input from people who have been through what we’re struggling with at the moment.
If you’ve been through something, ask God to lead you to people who need your help. One of the best ways to move past a painful experience is to help someone else who is in the middle of the same thing. Just being there and sharing your story is comforting.
Don’t minimize your experience, people need you to empathize with them. Share your weaknesses and struggles with others, especially those who are going through something you’ve experienced.
Jesus did it for you, you can do it for others.
You SHALL Inherit the Promises of God
The children Manasseh had a giant problem, literally. They had seen God’s deliverance from Egypt’s oppression, daily experienced God’s provision, crossed the river into the land promised their father Abraham but there was still one problem…giants. They were in the promised land, it was under their feet, they could see it but it didn’t quite look like what they were expecting. Have you ever felt like you were where God wanted you to be but it was full of problems? Maybe those problems even caused you to question if you’re in the right place. You’re not alone.
The nation of Israel had the promised land in reach, all that was left was to take the land. We are in a similar position yet under a new covenant. We have been translated into the Kingdom of Jesus, delivered from the power of darkness with all spiritual blessings within our grasp yet our outer world may be full of problems. Let’s check back in with the tribe of Manasseh and see how they handled this issue.
The children Manasseh had a giant problem, literally. They had seen God’s deliverance from Egypt’s oppression, daily experienced God’s provision, crossed the river into the land promised their father Abraham but there was still one problem…giants. They were in the promised land, it was under their feet, they could see it but it didn’t quite look like what they were expecting. Have you ever felt like you were where God wanted you to be but it was full of problems? Maybe those problems even caused you to question if you’re in the right place. You’re not alone.
The nation of Israel had the promised land in reach, all that was left was to take the land. We are in a similar position yet under a new covenant. We have been translated into the Kingdom of Jesus, delivered from the power of darkness with all spiritual blessings within our grasp yet our outer world may be full of problems. Let’s check back in with the tribe of Manasseh and see how they handled this issue.
The children of Manasseh came before Joshua and Eleazar the priest to remind them they were supposed to get some land. Joshua divides to them ten portions of land. The inheritance had been given, more than enough for the men, women, and children. I can see it now, the tribe packs up and heads toward their promised land, full of hope and expectation of a bright future. Maybe they’re even singing the song of Moses and telling tales of having to eat all that quail and manna. They arrive at the borders of their new sanctuary and then they see them, giants.
They were emboldened by the victories of Joshua and Caleb so they begin to fight for their land. It soon becomes clear they are not strong enough to take care of this problem so they go back to Joshua to ask for help.
Keep in mind Joshua is the one called by God to take Israel into the promised, he’s the one who led them to their promise and got them to a place of deliverance and given the land. He’s a type and shadow of Jesus. He’s God’s representative at this time. The promised land is under their feet but now they have to fight for it. What Joshua does next is a clue into how we’re to fight to see the manifestation of all the spiritual promises God has made to all who believe in the name of the Lord Jesus.
In Joshua 17 we also see the children of Joseph come before Joshua. Their issue is a little different than Manasseh. Joseph’s children complain about not having enough land and add that the land they do have is also full of giant Canaanites and there are too many trees. Joshua says ok, head up to the land of the Perizzites, cut down the trees and take that land too. Then they tell Joshua the giant Canaanites have iron chariots.
Then Joshua says, “do I have to do everything for you?” Not really but I can imagine he begins to get frustrated with all the excuses. He probably wanted to remind them of all the giants he’d killed, how he took Jericho, how he defeated 31 kings, how God sent hornets to clear the land but he didn’t. Instead, he declares the future of God’s favor and desire for them.
And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you SHALL not have only one lot, “but the mountain country SHALL be yours. Although it is wooded, you SHALL cut it down, and its farthest extent SHALL be yours; for you SHALL drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.” Joshua 17:17-18
I believe Joshua is prophesying the will of God for these tribes at this moment. He is speaking from a place of confidence and personal trust in the Lord but he is also representing the desire of the Lord for them in his declaration. Notice how many times he says shall, he’s not playing around, he’s very serious about what he is saying. He knows God is faithful, he has seen it. Joshua knows the Lord is trustworthy and when he makes a promise he does everything in his power to empower you to inherit that promise in its fullness.
I believe this is what God has done over our lives. Through Christ he has declared victory, he has made us righteous, he has sealed those who believe with his eternal spirit of promise, his favor goes before us and his protection follows behind, all that is left is to walk with him while renewing our minds to see his salvation in its fullness. We become dismayed at the sight of a problem or are afraid of a little work and allow the kingdom seed within our hearts to be choked out. Like we’re about to see in the destiny of these tribes all it takes to see God’s promises is to remain confident in what he has already declared.
These tribes must have been inspired and emboldened by Joshua in this exchange because we see a very different story a few chapters later.
Joshua 21:43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
WOW! All came to pass! This is God’s desire for you, that everything he has promised you comes to pass. Jesus said all things were possible to those who believe. Do you believe all of the promises You’ve stood on will come to pass?
So why don’t we see the manifestation of these promises? Possibly like the children of Israel we’re complaining in our hearts, perhaps like Manasseh we think our problems are too strong, maybe like the children of Joseph we don’t want to get to work and cut down the trees that stand in the way. It doesn’t matter why. That’s the wrong question anyway. The right question is “what has God said?”
God’s favor is not magic. Everything God has for us is experienced by grace through faith. The outward manifestation is directly tied to the inward expectation and commitment to be empowered by God. Far too often we complain or remain in our laziness rather than getting up, taking steps forward and putting our hand to the plow. We’ve somehow been lulled into an idealistic stupor that God will sovereignly make everything happen in our lives independent from our co-laboring.
We can never perform our way into a blessing but the paradox is we’ll never experience the fullness of what God has promised until we trust him and move forward to take the land. Faith comes before understanding, plowing comes before harvesting, foundations are laid before structures are built…do not let yourself be fooled into thinking your time of inactivity is being spent waiting on the Lord to perform a magic trick on your behalf. When we begin to move we can be led, while we’re parked at the dock it only serves to ensure nothing will happen.
That may be a little strong but I want to inspire you to trust God. I want you to take responsibility for what God has promised you and not let it go. His grace is ever-present and more than you’ll ever need to accomplish what is in your heart but grace doesn’t take the first step for you. God is seeking to bless you but you might have to kill a few giants to see the manifestation.
I dare you to take God at his word and step out in what he has declared over your life. Don’t know what God has declared over your life? Pick a promise, any promise and go for it for all of his promises are a resounding YES!
2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Either you’re going to believe God or you’re going to settle and come up with excuses, which will you do?
In my series “The City of God: Entering the Promised Land,” I discuss how God goes before you and fights for you. He’s the God of the impossible, he can make a way where there is no way. I look at the concept of abiding in Jesus as our place of victory and rest. I firmly establish the fact that God is for you and is, in fact, seeking to bless you every moment of the day. And I discuss the paradox of effortlessly producing fruit while gaining ground by the grace of God.
I believe this series will convince you that God’s promises are sure for you and he is relentless in helping you move toward complete manifestation.
Download MP3s
MESSAGE TITLES
Why Are You Crying To Me?
Producing Effortless Fruit
God Fights For You
You SHALL Inherit the Promise
Does Prayer Do Anything?
Have you ever felt like prayer doesn’t make much of a difference? Over the years people have confessed to me they don’t pray much. They don’t pray much because they feel like it doesn’t do much. People know they’re “supposed” to pray as Christians but often feel like it doesn’t change anything. Ever been there?
We pray and then carry on as if we don’t expect anything to change. That may sound a little harsh but if you’re honest with yourself, you know it’s true. You have probably felt this way at times. I want to give you some good news about prayer. Whether you understand it or not, something is happening when you pray. You might not see immediate results, you may never see results, but if you believe what you pray, something is definitely happening.
Have you ever felt like prayer doesn’t make much of a difference? Over the years people have confessed to me they don’t pray much. They don’t pray much because they feel like it doesn’t do much. People know they’re “supposed” to pray as Christians but often feel like it doesn’t change anything. Ever been there?
We pray and then carry on as if we don’t expect anything to change. That may sound a little harsh but if you’re honest with yourself, you know it’s true. You have probably felt this way at times. I want to give you some good news about prayer. Whether you understand it or not, something is happening when you pray. You might not see immediate results, you may never see results, but if you believe what you pray, something is definitely happening.
For more on New Covenant based prayer, click to listen to this free series.
TV Remote Control Illustration
Allow me to use your TV remote as an illustration for prayer. Your TV remote sends an infrared signal to your TV to change the channel or access the menu. You press a button on the remote and the TV responds. You don’t think about it, you don’t understand how that particular button is programmed to adjust the TV to that specific command, but you trust when you press those buttons the remote will do what it’s programmed to do.
Prayer is like a TV remote. You have the power of life and death in your tongue. The quantum field theory tells us that humans have an energetic effect on the material world. When you speak, when you pray, there is an energetic release from your mouth and your heart that go out to accomplish your intention.
When you pray the Word of God, you carry Heaven’s programming to affect whatever you’re praying over. But if your heart and mouth are not in agreement, the signal will not connect. If you want to put it on channel 2 but you press 3, you will not see the effect you want. But if you put the TV on the channel you desire, you will access what’s being sent to that channel from the broadcasting source.
Prayer is more of a command rather than a request. You’re not commanding God to do something, you’re commanding creation to respond to God’s will. God has revealed his will in Christ, it’s up to us to declare that will in the earth.
Finding The Right Channel
Have you ever looked for a specific show on TV? You know it’s on but you’re not sure which channel. Connecting with God’s promises is like that. God is constantly broadcasting his promises to us from Heaven just like a TV station is broadcasting its signal, it’s up to us to get on the same channel and receive what he’s broadcasting.
God’s signal doesn’t just carry information and images, it carries things like joy, peace, provision, wisdom, etc… When you use your mouth, in agreement with your heart, to access God’s broadcast signal, your prayer is effective. Check out these statements Jesus made about receiving.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
We all know Jesus is talking about asking according to God’s will in these statements, we just happen to know God’s will is Heaven on Earth, Jesus said so.
Prayer Works
Don’t give up on praying because nothing happened the last time you prayed. Keep praying, something is happening. As you declare God’s character with confidence, you are watering his Word that has been planted into your situation. You have the power of life and the authority of God in your mouth, use it to speak kingdom truth.
Find out what God says about your situation
Settle in your heart his character in that area
Adjust your thoughts and emotions to match God’s promises
Remain patient knowing that the seed is growing
Keep praying and declaring with confidence
God’s Word will not fail
Can The Devil Hinder Your Prayers?
The Lord's Prayer
When You Pray, Believe
It's Time To Deal With Your Stuff
Taking Ownership Of Your Emotions
The Secret Place
New Covenant Giving
Mixing Faith With Promises For Healing
A Heart Connected To Kingdom Realities
Baptism Of Spirit And Fire
Have a Swig of Righteousness for Your Thirsty Soul
How does righteousness satisfy your soul?
Your soul craves emotional and spiritual drink. The body craves physical drink. When your soul is thirsty and you try to quench it with physical or emotional drink from the world, you’ll always be unsatisfied. But if you drink of spiritual drink when your soul is thirsty, you will always be satisfied.
The world has plenty of physical and emotional stuff to drink, water, wine, juice, whiskey, as well as fear, worry, temporary relief, and possibly even temporary happiness. But the thirst always comes back. Righteousness is the only thing that can satisfy a soul.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
How does righteousness satisfy your soul?
Your soul craves emotional and spiritual drink. The body craves physical drink. When your soul is thirsty and you try to quench it with physical or emotional drink from the world, you’ll always be unsatisfied. But if you drink of spiritual drink when your soul is thirsty, you will always be satisfied.
The world has plenty of physical and emotional stuff to drink, water, wine, juice, whiskey, as well as fear, worry, temporary relief, and possibly even temporary happiness. But the thirst always comes back. Righteousness is the only thing that can satisfy a soul.
Your soul doesn’t thirst after righteousness because it’s never drank it. The soul doesn’t crave righteousness because it’s necessarily carnal or evil - your soul thirsts after righteousness BECAUSE it knows how satisfying it is.
Righteousness is a state of existence before God. You are at peace with God because of the work of Christ. When you are afraid or feeling condemned, and you remind yourself that you’re accepted by God because of Christ and it brings peace, you’ve just taken a healthy swig of righteousness. You’ve drunk from the preexisting truth that you’re ok with God, and that brings peace, which settles the soul rather than generates fear.
Did you follow that process?
As you reassure your soul that you’re loved and accepted by God because of Christ, you are confessing the truth that Jesus’ atonement on your behalf was enough for your forgiveness and righteousness. That sets you free from the fear of judgment and allows you to choose grace and live under its power.
Thirsting after righteousness isn’t when you recognize that you’re a dirty sinner and you need to be cleansed, thirsting after righteousness happens because your soul needs a little reminder of who you really are in Christ.
Drinking of righteousness is when you get ahold of yourself in the midst of sin or failure and snap out of it, back into an awareness of God’s love for you to the point that grace energizes you and you break out of sin’s grip.
When you’re tempted, you need to take a deep swallow of righteousness, by reminding yourself that Jesus was tempted in all ways like you are yet without sin and you allow his victory to empower you over sin.
Let Christ’s Suffering Serve As A Reminder That You’re Forgiven And Can Drink Of His Righteousness At Any Moment
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
When you’re being persecuted for your faith, being tempted to give in to sin, questioning your salvation or trying to find the motivation to minister to others, you can follow this pattern…
Here’s the pattern based on Hebrews 12:1-4
Remember the great men and women of faith.
Keep in mind they simply believed what God told them he was going to do.
Make sure you are trusting that God will be faithful to what he said he would do for you.
You can keep trusting what he said he would do by remembering what Jesus already did.
What did Jesus do? Endured persecution, faced temptation to the point of sweating blood because it brought him joy to die for you to be a child of God.
Acknowledge Jesus as Lord and King, acknowledge your place in him and live from the power of that identity.
Verse 4 is the key to personalizing God’s love for you and engaging his power that works in you. Before Jesus was arrested, blood seeped from his pores because he was fighting his flesh. Jesus didn’t want to endure the cross and face separation from his father, but it brought him joy to think of you in his family so he submitted and became obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus despised the shame of the cross but he loved the results of it, which was inheriting you as his family member.
Luke 22:39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Jesus resisted his flesh to the point of bleeding through his skin. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” But Jesus did, to destroy the power of sin and death over mankind. This is an encouragement for us because Jesus faced the greatest temptation we can face, as a man, and won! We can stand in his victory by walking through the pattern I outlined above from Hebrews 12.
I pray that you take the time to personalize Christ’s time in the garden as he wrestled against temptation. See your own struggles in his battle, see your victory in his victory, see your resurrection as a new creature in his triumph over sin, death, Hades and the grave. He conquered everything that could be held against you and removed it as far as the east is from the west, now live in the power of his spirit.
Practical Application of Being Satisfied by Righteousness
One way righteousness satisfies is when you live in it rather than giving in to sin, whether it be a physical action, emotional sin or drawing away from faith in God’s Word. For the record, anything not of faith is sin.
I don’t know if you have ever faced and conquered addiction or maybe had success in stopping a bad habit, but it’s incredibly satisfying and rewarding.
To see an opportunity for sin coming, feel the temptation in your flesh but choose to walk away and not give in may be difficult. But on the other side is satisfaction. You feel good about yourself when you make a good choice, and that’s ok. It’s ok to be proud of yourself. You’re not boasting in your own salvation but you feel good that you walked worthy of the holiness you’ve been given, and he gets the glory. This becomes a source of power for you and creates a new track record for your own self-image.
You are more powerful than you realize, you just need to make a habit of drinking from your righteousness when life gets hard. The more you do so, the easier it gets. Before long you find yourself living a light, holy, righteous and sin-free life because you’ve acknowledged Christ’s victory as your own and connected with the power of his resurrection within you.
Listen to the complete series Living In The Power of Righteousness
What is the Difference Between Grace and Mercy?
Grace and mercy are not the same thing even though most Christians use the words interchangeably. Knowing the difference is important for theological integrity as well as practical life application. Let’s look at the definitions of grace and mercy.
Definitions from Strong’s Concordance
GRACE
Greek 5485 charis - graciousness of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life): acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace, gracious, joy, liberality, pleasure, thanks, thank worthy.
MERCY
Greek 1656 eleos - kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, that of God toward sinners, joined with a desire to help them; of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful; of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life.
Grace and mercy are not the same thing even though most Christians use the words interchangeably. Knowing the difference is important for theological integrity as well as practical life application. Let’s look at the definitions of grace and mercy.
Definitions from Strong’s Concordance
GRACE
Greek 5485 charis - graciousness of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life): acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace, gracious, joy, liberality, pleasure, thanks, thank worthy.
MERCY
Greek 1656 eleos - kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, that of God toward sinners, joined with a desire to help them; of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful; of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life.
Mercy is what God extends toward you regardless of your reception or engagement. Within himself, God makes the decision to show you kindness and forgive you. He does this because of the substitutionary atoning working of his son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the sufficient sacrifice that satisfies all legal issues God has with you and your condition. Because Jesus died for you, as you, God can show you mercy and not give you what you deserve…if you place your faith/trust in Christ as your righteousness.
This is where grace comes in. Because God has shown you mercy and is not holding your sins against you, you can open your heart to him and believe on the sacrifice of Christ, at which point you receive his saving power, which is grace. Grace is an inner influence from God in your inner man that brings about spiritual changes. God’s spirit actively working in you is the function of grace. That activity of grace is how one is born again and saved. Salvation happens when you trust Jesus and God’s spirit does a work in you to change the kind of being you are. Salvation is the result of grace having done its work in you. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
You can be continually thankful for God’s mercy toward you but you must daily yield to his grace for empowerment. God loves you no matter what and you are acceptable to him because of your reception of the sacrifice of Christ, but you still need to yield to his inner influence of grace to live empowered by the indwelling spirit of God.
Mercy is God’s attitude toward you but Grace is God’s activity within you to equip and empower you to transcend your flesh and this carnal world. When you are living by the power of grace you will not be living from our own will power and strength.
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14
Grace is not just the power you can live from to overcome temptation and sin, it’s the power you are nourished by to live within the power of the righteousness that God gave you in Christ. He has made you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus but his active grace in you strengthens you to live in that righteousness.
When you pray and thank God that you sins are forgiven, you are embracing his mercy. When you pray and experience peace in the midst of a situation that should be stressful, you are experiencing grace.
When you do something stupid and are thankful that you are still God’s child no matter what, you’re aware of the mercy he’s extended toward you. When you are tempted but resist and turn to God for strength and then rise above the temptation, you are a beneficiary of grace.
Mercy is how God treats you.
Grace is how God changes you.
Mercy is something God expresses toward you.
Grace is God’s strength in you.
Mercy is what God shows you instead of judgment.
Grace is available because you’ve been shown mercy.
Mercy forgives you.
Grace transforms you.
Grace Is At Work In You To Transform You
You probably know the passages that address the doctrine of grace, but I want to highlight three passages that describe the function of grace. It’s important to know what grace is and how to live from the power of its influence in your life. Learning how to live from the power of grace can teach you how to receive all the benefits of salvation; healing, wholeness, deliverance, restoration, preservation and provision.
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.Confirming One’s Calling and Election 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
“Grace and peace” is much more than a greeting. Peter is giving a functional description of the power of grace. Peter walks us through a logical progression of the effectiveness of grace in these passages. He calls their attention to the grace they have in abundance and then teaches them what that grace is and does, it’s his “power for a godly life.” Grace is the fuel we live from to participate in God’s divine nature.
Grace is a spiritual power within you that lifts your ability to live above the carnal realm and in the spiritual dimension, where God’s promises are abundant. When you are yielded to the power of grace, you can participate in God’s nature and experience his spiritual promises which will become physical realities.
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The word “grace” is not mentioned in this selection but grace is certainly being described. Grace is God’s strengthening power to your inner man which causes Christ’s anointing to fill you heart. His anointing is always in you it abides and never lifts, but it is only upon you when you are yielded to his grace.
You need Christ’s anointing power in your heart because that’s where you believe. When you believe, all things are possible. Those who experience all kinds of God’s possibilities are those who are confident in God’s love for them and yield to His inner influence. When you yield to his inner influence you are filled with his fullness and you experience wholeness.
2 Corinthians 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Paul had learn a few things, one of them was how to live in the power of God’s grace. Paul thought his solution was for God to show up and remove his problem. God said his grace was what Paul needed. That is NOT and “no” from God, it’s a solution. Paul then explains what he learned from this situation, that when he is weak he can be strengthened by God. This is a commonly misunderstood passage but the point is that God’s grace is strength when we’re weak.
Conclusion
This information may not be new to you, I hope it’s not. This information may be new and revolutionary for you, praise God if it is! Either way, I pray this understanding enlightens your heart and inspires you to intentionally yield to God’s grace when you need to be strengthened in your inner man.
You have the right to expect God to move in your heart, if you’ll let him. Use your faith to be persuaded of Christ’s finished work in your specific circumstances and be bold until you experience power for whatever it may be.
God told you the truth, he will strengthen you, he will help you, he will bless you, he will work through you. Make it a daily practice to hold him in the forefront of your mind, let your heart be filled with his love for you, and allow your life to be supernaturally charged by his grace!!
Check out my Essential Grace teaching sets, volumes 1 through 5.
More articles
Understanding the Gospel has Miraculous and Freeing Benefits
The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is that God became like us to conquer and remove all the issues keeping mankind from being worthy of His presence. He became our sin so we could become righteous, He delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of Jesus. He forgives us freely, we simply believe in the power of Jesus' finished work to qualify for everything God has for us. We are no longer servants but friends of God. The list can go on and on.
The power of God's inner influence, otherwise known as grace, becomes effective in your life when your mind and heart understand the Gospel. When you understand that Jesus is LORD, that he is preeminent over all creation and that he has shared his authority over all creation with you, you will allow God's spirit to have its way in your life, and you will believe that nothing is more powerful than Jesus.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is that God became like us to conquer and remove all the issues keeping mankind from being worthy of His presence. He became our sin so we could become righteous, He delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of Jesus. He forgives us freely, we simply believe in the power of Jesus' finished work to qualify for everything God has for us. We are no longer servants but friends of God. The list can go on and on.
The power of God's inner influence, otherwise known as grace, becomes effective in your life when your mind and heart understand the Gospel. When you understand that Jesus is LORD, that he is preeminent over all creation and that he has shared his authority over all creation with you, you will allow God's spirit to have its way in your life, and you will believe that nothing is more powerful than Jesus.
Understanding the Gospel means you know your sins are forgiven. Why is that important? Because the wages of sin are death. When you understand that your sins are not being held against you, you'll understand that the effects of sin also have no authority against you. The thing that enforces death in your life is sin and your sin isn't held against you. You are free to be healed.
Understanding the Gospel means you can bring hope to the darkest places and the most corrupt people. It means you can have total confidence in the power of this good news to transform a human heart and cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
Understanding the Gospel means you will live above the lure of sin. When temptation comes you can turn to God's power in your inner man and live in the power of righteousness, which is much more powerful than the lure of sin. The spirit is much more powerful than the flesh.
The Gospel is the most wonderful news anyone can encounter. The Gospel is more than information, it's a power generator, it sets in motion all the promises and power of God.
Dig into the Gospel, learn of Jesus and major on the cross. Jesus is LORD forevermore and the power of His victory over sin and death is alive in you!!!
The Subtlety of Fear - A Message for Men
We don’t realize it but we make many of our decisions out of fear, especially men. We don’t necessarily feel afraid, we’re now sitting in the corner balled up biting our nails, we don’t have chills running down our spine, but we have let fear constrict our willingness to stand on God’s promises because of fear associated with responsibility.
Responsibility, that’s mostly a good thing but it can cause us to limit our interaction with God. This, of course, applies to women but I feel it on my heart to talk to men this week.
My man, you’re doing a good job — you’re paying your bills, you’re trying to be a good dad, you’re treating your wife as lovingly as you can, you’re working at your job to make your boss happy so you can have a shot at that promotion, you’re voting for the right issues, you’re trying to take care of your body, you’re investing for your children’s future, and so on. There’s only one problem with all that, God isn’t in that “list.”
In fact, the last thing men want is more responsibility. Unfortunately, men try to go to church and get another list of rules. They’re pressured into serving and being made to feel like their love for sports or fishing gets in the way of living for God. It’s no wonder male church attendance has declined.
But men, I have a few more things to say. Many of us feel like we don’t have time for church, which is fine, but do you have time for God?
When you’re making your budget, or you’re pondering your job and how you can make more money, or when you’re thinking about your kids, do you leave some time to get God’s heart on the matter? Do you take time to find a passage in scripture that relates to your specific areas of responsibility in life?
We don’t realize it but we make many of our decisions out of fear, especially men. We don’t necessarily feel afraid, we’re not sitting in the corner balled up biting our nails, we don’t have chills running down our spine, but we have let fear constrict our willingness to stand on God’s promises because of fear associated with responsibility.
Responsibility, that’s mostly a good thing but it can cause us to limit our interaction with God. This, of course, applies to women but I feel it on my heart to talk to men this week.
My man, you’re doing a good job — you’re paying your bills, you’re trying to be a good dad, you’re treating your wife as lovingly as you can, you’re working at your job to make your boss happy so you can have a shot at that promotion, you’re voting for the right issues, you’re trying to take care of your body, you’re investing for your children’s future, and so on. There’s only one problem with all that, God isn’t in that “list.”
In fact, the last thing men want is more responsibility. Unfortunately, men try to go to church and get another list of rules. They’re pressured into serving and being made to feel like their love for sports or fishing gets in the way of living for God. It’s no wonder male church attendance has declined.
But men, I have a few things to say to you. Many of you feel like you don’t have time for church, which is fine, but do you have time for God?
When you’re making your budget, or you’re pondering your job and how you can make more money, or when you’re thinking about your kids, do you leave some time to understand God’s heart on the matter? Do you take time to find a passage in scripture that relates to your specific areas of responsibility in life?
God has something to say about your life and all the things you need to get done. He just might be able to show you how to make some decisions and how to handle some of that responsibility in a different way that causes you to thrive and prosper beyond what you thought possible, in fact, I guarantee he does.
Here’s my point, I don’t want you to feel like following God is just another responsibility, we all know you have plenty of those already.
Include God
When you’re thinking about all the things you need to do, I want to encourage you to include God, think about your life WITH him. See yourself next to him in your mind, looking at your life together rather than seeing him on the other side of your problem, detached from you. You don’t have to convince God to come into your life, he’s with you, looking at it from your same perspective.
He cares about you and everything you need to do, he can show you how to take some pressure off and enjoy your life a little more.
Don’t Bury Your Passion
Do you remember the story of the servants who were entrusted with talents? One of them received one talent but buried it in the ground so he didn’t lose it. A talent is a bag of gold or silver, by the way.
Here’s what happened when the master addressed the man with one talent…
Matthew 25:24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
“I was afraid” He wasn’t evil, he didn’t blow it, he didn’t lose it, he hid it because he was afraid of disappointing his master. I wonder what you have buried for fear of failure? I wonder where you’re looking at your responsibilities through the filter of the cares of this world and the pressure of money and have buried the God-given passion and talent within you.
You’re not afraid, hiding from life, not taking care of your business, but the fear of failing my have desensitized your heart to God and robbed you of the desire to thrive. I have spoken with lots of men who hate their jobs, they’re bored with life, they come home, drink beer and watch TV…all because they don’t want to lose what they’ve worked for.
It’s too hard to create room to be inspired by God and live for something more than meeting the family’s needs. It’s noble to provide for your family, it’s the right thing to do, but has it robbed you of that passion to live for something beyond your responsibilities?
A Challenge
I want to challenge you to dream a little beyond your present responsibilities.
Here’s the process if you accept the challenge. Grab a notebook or note app and get alone. Think about an area or two where you’re actually proud of yourself, a place where you’re doing a good job. Think about it and feel a little pride in yourself. Stay there a little while…
Then turn your heart to God and allow yourself to feel gratitude toward him. It may be difficult but sit there a while, direct your mind until you feel a sense of thankfulness toward God, in any area at all.
Then think of an area of your life you’d like to see improve, specifically an area related to one of your responsibilities. Now ask God for wisdom in that area and be ready to take notes. Stay here a while, write down what comes to mind…
You’re already going to think or worry about that area of life, why not have your inner world thankful toward God before you let yourself sort through all the stuff you have to do?
Include God in your planning and pondering. He’s a good dad and will guide you lovingly into success given the chance.
Men, you’re doing a good job, just stretch a little and let God take away some of the fear that life has created within you. Let hope arise and let that God-given desire for success out of its cage a little. Go ahead, you can do it!!
The Secret of Kingdom Seeds
Jesus said “pay attention to the word you hear.” That doesn’t mean listen really hard, that means attend to it. If you have a garden, you don’t pay attention to it by looking at it, you get your hands dirty by tilling the soil, watering the seeds, eradicating pests and uprooting invasive plant species.
“Paying attention” to the word of God that you plant in your heart means you need to make sure you’re watering it. Stay in faith. Make sure you are thinking how God thinks about your life. Pray and meditate, include God’s logic in your thought processes. Change the way you’re thinking about your circumstances and see God’s possibilities and promises.
Paying attention has more to do with the meditation of your heart than the function of your ears or eyes.
From Expositor’s Greek Testament
There shall be given over and above, not to those who hear (T. R., τοῖς ἀκούουσιν), but to those who think on what they hear. This thought introduces Mark 4:25, which, in this connection, means: the more a man thinks the more he will understand, and the less a man thinks the less his power of understanding will become. “Whoso hath attention, knowledge will be given to him, and from him who hath not, the seed of knowledge will be taken. For as diligence causes that seed to grow, negligence destroys it,” Euthy.
Jesus said
For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Mark 4:25
This statement will scare the living daylights out of you if you don’t understand what he means. So what does he mean? It’s actually very simple, he explained it a little earlier in his conversation with his disciples about the parable of the seed.
Jesus publicly taught this…
Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Mark 4:3-4
Then privately explained it to his disciples…
Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. Mark 4:18-19
Look again at verse 25…
For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Mark 4:25
When Jesus says “even what he has will be taken away,” he’s not it’s God that takes away, it’s actually the enemy. Specifically by paying attention to the enemies words. And how does the enemy take away the word/seed that’s sown in your heart?
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Mark 4:20-22
The enemy “takes the seed our of your heart” by persuading you to focus on the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. The enemy doesn’t have the power to get in your heart and take away God’s spirit or his living word, but he can suggest lies to you and reinforce your negative beliefs or fears in those areas. Those fears and doubts grow in your heart and choke out the kingdom seed.
Have you ever seen a vine or briars choke out a plant or tree? Doubt, fear, worrying about money and being overwhelmed emotionally by this world can choke out the word of God in your heart. Those are the only tools the enemy has to work with.
The enemy is a spirit, much like a radio frequency. If you tune into his channel and listen to his suggestions, you may begin to believe his lies. Here’s the real truth, you will only be persuaded by his suggestions if you already have those fears or temptations within you. So the enemy “takes away the seed” by reinforcing your preexisting doubts and fears.
I’ve always thought it was a little odd that Christians can be so worried they’re going to hear the devil so easily yet feel like God’s voice is so difficult to discern.
Pay Attention
Now that you understand how the word is “taken away,” let’s talk about how to see it increase.
Jesus said “pay attention to the word you hear.” That doesn’t mean listen really hard, that means attend to it. If you have a garden, you don’t pay attention to it by looking at it, you get your hands dirty by tilling the soil, watering the seeds, eradicating pests and uprooting invasive plant species.
“Paying attention” to the word of God that you plant in your heart means you need to make sure you’re watering it. Stay in faith. Make sure you are thinking how God thinks about your life. Pray and meditate, include God’s logic in your thought processes. Change the way you’re thinking about your circumstances and see God’s possibilities and promises.
Paying attention has more to do with the meditation of your heart than the function of your ears or eyes.
From Expositor’s Greek Testament
There shall be given over and above, not to those who hear (T. R., τοῖς ἀκούουσιν), but to those who think on what they hear. This thought introduces Mark 4:25, which, in this connection, means: the more a man thinks the more he will understand, and the less a man thinks the less his power of understanding will become. “Whoso hath attention, knowledge will be given to him, and from him who hath not, the seed of knowledge will be taken. For as diligence causes that seed to grow, negligence destroys it,” Euthy.
Don’t Just Think…Feel
Neuroscience has discovered that if you feel what you are seeking to believe or incorporate into your life, you will more successfully incorporate the information or habit. Your body doesn’t know the difference between thought and reality. You watch a funny movie and laugh, you watch a drama and feel sad, you watch a horror movie and feel scared.
Why do you actually feel those emotions and sensations? They’re not real. You feel them because your body, mind and soul have the same emotional and chemical experience even without an actual event.
This is fascinating, if you feel the emotions and sensations of health and healing, your physiology will begin to produce the proper condition to bring about that physical state in your body. God told us the truth, transformation is produced through mind-renewal.
You can meditate on the fact that Jesus became poor that you might become rich and see that truth grow in your life. You can meditate on the fact that he became sick so you could be healed and experience that reality. You can attend to the word of truth that Jesus was cursed for you and never again be afraid of God. You can think your way into health or you can think your way into sickness.
If you think of God’s word and his truth, it will grow into your life.
Think the truth. Think like God. There’s more going on than a psychological phenomenon, there’s an actual manifestation in progress. The more you pay attention or attend to nourishing God’s truth in your mind and heart, the more you will see it on your life.
Give it a shot, meditate on his word.
How to Hear God: A Lesson from George Washington Carver and the Peanut
George Washington Carver is credited with saving the agricultural economy of the rural South. From his work at Tuskegee, Carver developed approximately 300 products made from peanuts; these included: flour, paste, insulation, paper, wall board, wood stains, soap, shaving cream and skin lotion. Carver is also credited with the innovation of crop rotation.
Cotton was the primary crop in the South in the early 1900’s but cotton depleted the soil. Carver knew that peanuts replenished soil and tried to convince his constituents to plant a harvest of peanuts in between cotton yields so the cotton harvest would be more bountiful. The only problem, peanuts were not a profitable crop, which led George Washington Carver to the woods. Why the woods?
All my life, I have risen regularly at four in the morning to go into the woods and talk with God. That’s where He reveals His secrets to me. When everybody else is asleep, I hear God best and learn my plan… ~ George Washington Carver
The Lord always provides me with life changing ideas. Not that I am special. The Lord provides everyone with life changing ideas. These ideas are quite literally a treasure from the Almighty. It is up to each of us however, to choose and dig for the treasure. ~ George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver is credited with saving the agricultural economy of the rural South. From his work at Tuskegee, Carver developed approximately 300 products made from peanuts; these included: flour, paste, insulation, paper, wall board, wood stains, soap, shaving cream and skin lotion. Carver is also credited with the innovation of crop rotation.
Cotton was the primary crop in the South in the early 1900s but cotton depleted the soil. Carver knew that peanuts replenished soil and tried to convince his constituents to plant a harvest of peanuts in between cotton yields so the cotton harvest would be more bountiful. The only problem, peanuts were not a profitable crop, which led George Washington Carver to the woods. Why the woods?
All my life, I have risen regularly at four in the morning to go into the woods and talk with God. That’s where He reveals His secrets to me. When everybody else is asleep, I hear God best and learn my plan… ~ George Washington Carver
One of those mornings, Carver asked God to show him why he made the peanut. He knew it was the solution for soil health but he needed to know why it was valuable so his crop rotation idea could be implemented.
He told me, ‘separate the peanut into water, fats, oils, gums, resins, sugars, starches, and amino acids. Then recombine these under My three laws of compatibility, temperature, and pressure. Then, the Lord said, ‘then you will know why I made the peanut! ~ George Washington Carver
“Within ten days George Washington Carver had “discovered” more than 300 uses for the peanut. One trip to that special place in the woods to talk with God not only enhanced race relations at the time but also fundamentally changed the agricultural industry as we know it today. All because he listened to and felt the spirit of God in his life.” (Andy Andrews)
God’s response made sense to Carver because this was his field, God met him where he was. God expanded his understanding of an area Carver was already familiar with. Like Moses who used the staff that was already in his hands and like the widow who approached Elisha, the oil she already had was multiplied, God expanded something Carver was already involved with.
This is a lesson for us, we often wait for God to do a “new thing” in our lives when he’s actually seeking to increase and expand that which he’s already placed in us.
Attitude Rather Than Lip-Service
I personally identify with Carver’s thoughts on hearing God, prayer and living a life of acting on inspiration. This series of quotes give us more insight into the man, his success and how he puts God’s influence into action.
"God is going to reveal to us things He never revealed before if we put our hands in His. No books ever go into my laboratory. The thing I am to do and the way of doing it are revealed to me. I never have to grope for methods. The method is revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new. Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless." ~ George Washington Carver
Carver takes personal responsibility to use his God-given talents and be productive.
“No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.” ~ George Washington Carver
Carver understands himself and how he hears God. He understands that God’s unseen world is understood by looking at the things which are seen (Romans 1:20). He leans on God for understanding.
"My prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in very little lip service, but ask the Great Creator silently, daily, and often many times a day, to permit me to speak to Him through the three great Kingdoms of the world which He has created - the animal, mineral, and vegetable Kingdoms - to understand their relations to each other, and our relations to them and to the Great God who made all of us. I ask Him daily and often momently to give me wisdom, understanding, and bodily strength to do His will; hence I am asking and receiving all the time." ~ George Washington Carver
He’s creative with his relationship with God, he’s developed his own way of communing with God.
"Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God." ~ George Washington Carver
I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only TUNE IN. ~ George Washington Carver
Carver gives God the credit for his ideas, even though he recognizes his own responsibility to hear and act.
"As I worked on projects which fulfilled a real human need forces were working through me which amazed me. I would often go to sleep with an apparently insoluble problem. When I woke the answer was there. Why, then, should we who believe in Christ be so surprised at what God can do with a willing man in a laboratory? Some things must be baffling to the critic who has never been born again." ~ George Washington Carver
Carver recognizes that God lives within him, he doesn’t need to seek outwardly to understand or hear God, he communes with God in his heart.
"Most people search high and wide for the key to success. If they only knew, the key to their dreams lies within." ~ George Washington Carver
Carver is adept at what I consider to be the most important factor in the equation of hearing God, acting on God’s inspiration. God is always speaking, if we would simply act on his inspiration we would develop a track record with ourselves, a track record of hearing God and taking action on his influence. God will always lead us into life and truth, if we’ll simply act on his subtle nudges, we’ll develop our hearts to the point where we’ll follow him in the big things as well.
"Where there is no vision, there is no hope." ~ George Washington Carver
"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." ~ George Washington Carver
"Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied." ~ George Washington Carver
"Do what you can, with what you have and do it now!" ~ George Washington Carver
DO IT NOW!!
Like Moses, God will use what’s in your hands. Like the widow, God will invite you to put out jars to contain his blessing for you. But you must act, you must step into the path he’s laying out for you, you must move toward the direction he leads.
“The heart of man deviseth his way, And Jehovah establisheth his step.”
You’ve probably been taught that man comes up with plans but God has his own plans and does what he wants. God does have his own will that we miss at times but that is not what this passage is saying. This passage means that God will show you how to accomplish the plans you have in your heart.
Do The Hard Things In Your Imagination
You have a godly desire, a business idea, a dream, something burning within you to accomplish…God wants to show you how to succeed in that desire. When you think about it, don’t shrink back because you don’t know what to do or you don’t feel qualified, wrestle with it until you get wisdom.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and it will be given to him”
God WILL speak to you, he will sow into you the things you need to step forward in your desires. He’s placed desires within you and he’s seeking to give you wisdom in those areas so you will take responsibility and act. It’s not up to you to accomplish the idea on your own, God will help you, but you must push through the mental blocks and personal issues as you pursue God.
You must be willing to take steps based on his wisdom and inspiration. You can either sit back and navigate life the best you can, or you can stand on a promise from God, receive wisdom from him and act. It’s your choice!!
Try This
Take a few minutes to think of something that stood out to you from this sermon or article. Make it just one thing.
Now imagine an area of your life you’d like to see move forward, no matter what it is.
Now wait on wisdom to show you how to take a step in that area. The one thing that you remember or that excited you from this article/sermon can serve as the action to take.
Involve your imagination and see a simple, measurable step you can take in that area of life you identified.
See yourself taking that step. Do you see it?
Now do that everyday for the rest of your life, make it a habit of thinking through the hard things with the Word of God in mind, and allow inspiration and wisdom to rise up. AND ACT!!!
Expand Your Tents and Make Room for God to Move
All things are possible for those who believe, and we believe with our hearts (Romans 10:10). Your heart or inner man is paramount in experiencing God in this life. God wants you to increase the capacity of your heart to trust him so he can move through you in greater ways and see the impossible come to pass. The more confident you are in his character and his word, the more you are able to allow him to do through you. And what he wants to do is increase and enrich you in every way so you can be generous in every way.
2 Corinthians 9:10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
God’s goal is to have a nation of priests in the earth who lead people to Jesus and disciple those people in God’s ways so his kingdom will increase in the earth.
All things are possible for those who believe. You don’t believe with your brain, you believe with your heart (Romans 10:10). Your heart or inner man is paramount in experiencing God in this life. God wants you to increase the capacity of your heart to trust him so he can move through you in greater ways and see his will come to pass.
The more confident you are in his character and his word, the more you can allow him to do through you. And what he wants to do is increase and enrich you in every way so you can be generous in every way.
2 Corinthians 9:10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
God’s goal is to have a nation of priests in the earth who are thriving and prospering, and out of that prosperity lead people to Jesus and disciple them in God’s ways so his kingdom will increase in the earth. We must expand our hearts to trust greater for this to happen.
God wants to have a thriving and bountiful marriage with you
One day God will take back control over the earth, but until then his family, that nation of priests, must follow him and work with him so his will is accomplished in the earth. He needs you to think bigger, to dream more extravagantly and to ask more abundantly.
God has a habit of asking people to expand their expectations so he can work through them in greater ways. We see this repeatedly with the Israelites, God’s first chosen people. Isaiah 53 gives us a beautiful image of Christ’s accomplishments on our behalf. Immediately after declaring his plan of salvation through the Messiah, God describes what he wants for those who will be in this new covenant and what he expects them to do.
Before he affirms his eternal covenant of peace, he invites his bride to expand her tents. Expanding your tents refers to actual tents but it’s also for a metaphor for our hearts.
Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, DO NOT HOLD BACK. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes deep. 3 For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities. 4 Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. For you will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. 6 For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, the wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” says your God.
God encourages them to stretch by saying don’t be afraid, believe, think big, trust God in ways that cause you to stretch, you won’t be ashamed.
Then he declares his own identity amid this invitation, he says I’m the LORD God, the leader of the armies of Heaven, I’m the one who saves you, and by the way, I’m your husband.
He invites them to stretch and grow, he affirms his own identity as their validation for the promises coming to pass and then he describes the context of the relationship they’re in with him as all of this is accomplished.
Engaging in an intimate, personal relationship with God will give you the strength and courage to stretch and believe.
God also displays this kind of provision on a personal level, as we see with the widow of a man who followed Elisha.
What if she had more jars?
Here’s the backstory, in the time following the death of King Solomon and the division of Israel into two kingdoms, there was a period of general indifference and apostasy, especially in the North. During this time men who maintained their faith in the Lord formed study groups in various places to keep the knowledge of the Lord alive. These study groups were called companies of prophets. Although the men in these groups were not official prophets of Israel, the Lord blessed them with spiritual gifts including the gift of prophecy. Both Elijah and his successor Elisha maintained close relationships with these groups. This woman’s husband was in one of these “companies of prophets.”
As you read this story, keep your heart open, pay attention to any insights God may give you that apply to your life. Be open to God revealing to you where you’re limiting him.
2 Kings 4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
What stands out to you in this story? Did you notice anything about God’s provision for this lady that spoke to your life? Here’s what I noticed…
God used what she was willing to believe with
God didn't do anything separate from her cooperation
God didn’t have the prophet give her money, he invited her to get her heart involved and filled that space
God used what was already in her house (Moses, what's in your hands)
What did you notice?
What if she had more jars? Would it have kept flowing? Probably. The oil flowed until all the available jars were filled. What if she sent her sons to all the village to proclaim what God was doing in her home and invited them all to bring their pots? The whole village would have benefitted from her miracle.
What if they brought all the jars in the whole world to her home, would they all have been filled? I realize that’s slightly ridiculous, but what if? Is God able to fill all the jars on the planet with one small jar of olive oil? Of course he is, he’s God!! And that’s my point. Think big, take the limits off.
Engage your heart with God, and when fruit starts to grow, keep moving, don’t shut it off, don’t limit him. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine. DON’T HOLD BACK!!!
What are you willing to let God increase?
What’s in your house? What’s in your hands? What are you willing to allow God to increase?
Too often I hear people say that they would do anything God asked them to if he would just make it clear. People say they’re thinking and believing big. But there’s one problem, there’s no action. I watch people pray then sit back and wait for God to move.
It’s a collaboration. Don’t pray for anything you’re not going to act on.
That action must be taken in confidence, not fear and doubt. You might not have all the details worked out but you must have an expectation that is fueled by confidence in God’s character. God will always be who he is, who is he in your situation?
When you realize that you already have something God can increase, you have a direction to move, but you must move. If God can get you to see the potential of increase in a specific area, he can flood into that space. As you make room for him in your heart, make sure you step into that space with your emotions and your imagination AND… your actions. Here’s how Paul says it…
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us so we can be with him. I think it’s safe to call that place Heaven, would you agree? What is that place like? What is Heaven like? Take a minute and think about that for a minute before you finish reading this article.
For real, think about Heaven, where Jesus is walking around right now…
I’m a pastor, so teaching doctrine properly is important, but I want to suspend doctrine for a minute and just think about some things.
When I think about Jesus preparing a place for us, it makes me think of his prayer “your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” It’s something he wants for us. I think about what the garden of Eden must have been like, in all its perfection. I think of what it would have been like to see Jesus transform and openly talk with Moses and Elijah. It makes me think of all the times supernatural encounters with angels and the presence of God happened to ordinary men and women in the Bible.